Major Bio-Based Nano Silica Project Launched in Jiangsu
On the morning of November 29, the groundbreaking ceremony for a 100,000 tons per year bio-based nano silica project was officially held at Yangkou Port Economic Development Zone, Jiangsu Province.
This milestone project represents another major achievement in the industrialization of scientific research led by the team of Academician Zhang Liqun of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. The initiative injects strong momentum into the high-end, intelligent, and green transformation of the new materials industry cluster at Yangkou Port.
A Decade of Innovation: Turning Waste into High-Value Materials
After more than ten years of dedicated research and technological breakthroughs, the research team has pioneered a circular economy model that utilizes:
- Rice husk waste
- Carbon dioxide (CO₂)
- Other industrial by-products
as raw materials to produce bio-based nano silica.
This innovative process:
- Establishes a new recycling-based production pathway
- Achieves negative-carbon manufacturing performance
- Provides a replicable green upgrading model for traditional material industries
The project marks a significant step toward low-carbon industrial transformation and offers a practical example of converting agricultural and industrial waste into high-value advanced materials.
Strategic Importance for China’s Advanced Materials Sector
The implementation of this project will:
- Accelerate the localization of high-end silica products
- Strengthen supply chain security and resilience
- Promote the development of “new quality productive forces”
- Advance high-level technological self-reliance
- Drive regional industrial upgrading toward green and high-end manufacturing
As global demand for high-performance silica continues to grow in sectors such as rubber reinforcement, coatings, electronics, battery materials, and specialty polymers, domestic capacity expansion in high-end nano silica holds strategic industrial significance.
Phase I Construction Overview
The first phase of the project includes:
- Contract value: approximately RMB 100 million
- Location: Yangkou Port Development Zone, Rudong County, Nantong, Jiangsu Province
- Total construction area: 55,169.17 m²
Planned facilities include:
- Comprehensive office building
- Finished product warehouse
- Utility and auxiliary facilities
- Pipe rack systems
- Rice husk storage warehouse
- Nano silica production workshop
- Category-E (flammable materials) workshop
Among them:
- Finished product warehouse
- Rice husk processing workshop
- Category-E workshop
are designed as steel-structure facilities, with:
- Steel structure building area: 30,882.5 m²
- Maximum structural span: 23 meters
This modern industrial layout integrates efficient production, logistics optimization, and intelligent facility design.
Strengthening Yangkou Port’s “One Core, One Strength, One Emerging” Strategy
The successful landing of this project represents a key achievement in Yangkou Port’s strategy of deepening its focus on:
- A primary leading industry
- A dominant specialty sector
- An emerging strategic industry
It marks another solid step forward in building a competitive high-end new materials industrial cluster.
Government Support & Green Manufacturing Vision
Local authorities reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining a pro-business, service-oriented environment, emphasizing:
- Full-process administrative support
- Accelerated approval procedures
- Continuous project coordination
- Round-the-clock service guarantees
The goal is to ensure early approval, early construction, early completion, and early operational effectiveness.
The enterprise expressed appreciation for the strong support provided by government agencies, partners, and stakeholders throughout the project preparation phase. It also pledged to continue pursuing innovation-driven development and to work collaboratively to establish the project as a demonstration model of green manufacturing in the Yangtze River Delta region.
A Model for Sustainable Materials Manufacturing
The 100,000-ton bio-based nano silica project is more than an industrial investment—it represents:
- A commitment to carbon reduction
- A breakthrough in circular material science
- A practical pathway toward sustainable upgrading of traditional industries
- A catalyst for regional high-quality economic development
By transforming agricultural waste and CO₂ into advanced nano materials, the project showcases how scientific innovation can drive structural industrial change while contributing to climate and sustainability goals.
With construction now underway, Yangkou Port takes a decisive step toward becoming a benchmark hub for green, intelligent, and high-end new materials manufacturing in China.
